Lost Ways
by Samuel Sadi
Summary: News Headline: Family of four missing from their campsite. Rangers found the family's campsite today, which had seemed to have been left vacant. It was as if they had just vanished from the campsite. Rangers commented on how easy it could be to get lost in the forest. Rangers commented that they were sure the family would be found soon.
1. Review Holder

Please move to next chapter for the one-shot. This is review holder only.


	2. Lost Ways

**AVAVA**

 **( Author's Note )**

 **VAVAV**

 **I** know you've probably read this before, or at least you read the first draft. After I finished it in the beginning, I kind of rushed the ending. But I continued having ideas, so I rolled it back some to continue.

 **AVAVA**

 **( Dipper Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **I** t had been a week since they got lost in the forest. He knew their parents were looking for them, knew that by now they'd have the park rangers searching for them. He wished that he had waited for their parents for the nature hike. However, Mabel had wanted to go and said that their parents would catch up with them. With that, Mabel had practically dragged him into the woods. So, he hadn't really been able to argue much. Not like arguing with his sister had ever worked before.

Mabel would have been right, he was sure. Their parents would have caught up with them, had they stayed on the path. Which he had fully intended on doing, at least until Mabel had climbed a tree so he could take a picture that she could post online when they returned home. Which she inadvertently knocked over a large bee hive. Even though bees hibernated in the winter, it seemed if you knocked over a bee hive, they still got angry. A bee hive, one that he had deemed the King of all beehives. He and Mabel had been stung a few times as they had ran.

Neither of them knew how long the bees followed them, so they may have ran longer and farther than they needed to. They stopped to rest, and were in pain, and of course tired. They found a hollowed out tree to rest in. Which he insisted on. They had still been in the forest, and there were dangerous creatures around, and it wasn't safe to be out in the elements either. The hallowed tree provided a shield from the wind, and allowed them to conserve body heat under one of the emergency blankets he had brought. At least the pain from the bee stings had subsided some when they had awoke.

After they had awoke, they were still in some pain.

Still tired.

It didn't take it long for Dipper to realize that they were lost. First instinct told him to stay in one place, so they would be easier to find. Though, after two days hunger started to set in, and the duo ventured out to find something to eat. Then after finding several types of berries, though only a few of which he knew was safe. Then the apple tree they found was very appreciated. However, they couldn't figure out which way the hollowed out tree they had stayed in was.

He and Mabel both had brought their hiking supplies. After looking through what they had brought, he had wished they had brought food even if he knew that what food they would have brought would have already been gone. But still they took stock of what they had brought.

Mabel's bag. Knitting needles, he assumed that she planned to knit something sometime during the hike. Several balls of yarn, which made since with the knitting needles. A change of clothes. Snacks, that wouldn't last very long. Couple bottles of water, and various pieces paper. A length of rope, he guessed at most maybe ten foot. Two sweaters she had knitted. Finally, several books. He wasn't sure if she planned to read them on the trip, or if she just stuffed them in last minute, in case she got bored. He didn't know.

His Bag. Swiss army knife, which would come in handy. His journal that he had been writing in. A book about local flora and fauna, which now would be more than useful. More so than he had imagined before. A first aid kit, medium sized. Four emergency blankets, enough for them and their parents. A large box of matches, and if they didn't work a flint. Bottles of water. And a hand pump water filter.

He wished that they had packed more useful things. They had a lot of things that they could use, and he was thankful for that at least.

They searched the area surrounding where they had found the berries and fruit. This time using bits of yarn to mark a path that would lead them back to where they knew food would be. He insisted checking along the edge of the mountains. Since it was late winter, and it was cold, he hoped that they would find some kind of shelter, or something that they could make a shelter out of. Maybe trees closer to a water source. Or maybe the side of one of the mountain would have a steep side, that would block the wind.

 **AVAVA**

 **D** ipper sighed as it started to rain. As if it wasn't bad enough that it was cold, it had to start raining. The wind had started to pick up, making the cold air feel even colder. If they didn't find something, they would have to make due with making a shelter the best they could. Which he doubted that it would last long. All they had to use was a couple sweaters, some emergency blankets, and yarn. With rain and wind it wouldn't last very long. Add in the odds that the wind would surely pick up, and it would end disastrous.

"Hey, Dipper! What's that?" Mabel asked from slightly behind him. He knew what she was doing behind him. And he couldn't actually blame her. She was using him to block the wind and rain. He would have done that same thing, or at least tried, if he wasn't the one that knew what he was looking for.

"What's what?" He asked looking around. Hopeful for maybe a rescue party. Or some land mark he could use to find their way home. Maybe a rangers tower.

"Is that a cave?" Mabel asked pointing. Her hand moving over his shoulder pointing towards the cliff side.

"I think so, lets go look." He said, starting towards the opening in the side of the rock. It wasn't a rescue party, or a ranger tower, but at the moment the idea of a cave, or any form of shelter right now was welcome.

When they arrived a couple minutes later, what they found was less impressive than they imagined. Instead of a cave, like he had imagined, It was quite a bit smaller. The mouth was small enough they had to duck to enter, though inside the ceiling was higher. It only went about maybe thirty feet deep, and maybe forty feet wide. Not as big as he had imagined. Dipper looked around, it would work until they were found.

"Well, this will work for now." He said to Mabel. "Put your pack down, and we'll go out and find some wood to make a fire."

 **AVAVA**

 **T** hey had made several trips back and forth to the little cave. They had set up three piles in the cave. Large logs, well large to them to carry. Medium sized branches. And a pile of thin branches, twigs, tree bark, and moss that would be used for kindling. Mabel had started looking for other things to be used for bedding, but had turned up empty handed, and saddened. He wished that he could help her. But there were too many things that had to be done.

He gathered up large stones and carried them into the cave, created a circle, arranged the kindling and medium branches, before starting a fire.

Mabel had some how used one of the emergency blanket, some smaller rocks and one long branch to create a door flap. At least she knew that it couldn't cover the entire entrance, or else they would suffocate. Oxygen would have to get back in that the fire would burn up.

"Alright, while we are waiting for it to warm up, and while the sun is still up, we should go and gather some of those berries and apples." Dipper said emptying his hiking back pack. He would find some large branches in the pile later to make a spear for fishing later, for now they had to eat what they had available. That and he had never spear fished before, so he wanted to be sure they had food.

 **AVAVA**

 **( Mabel Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **S** he had been reading one of her books, but she was trying to save some reading for later. It had been a week after they found the cave, which was much warmer inside than she had imagined. They went out daily to gather more and more wood for the fire. The piles had become massive. It would take weeks to use all the wood, but they would continue gathering wood for just in case. It was winter after all, and there was still the possibility that it could snow.

Not a possibility it was Oregon, in the winter. It was going to snow, she knew that. She just didn't know how much and when. Back home in California it never snowed... or maybe it had, but she surely never remembered playing in the snow at home. She was sure she would remember that.

Dipper had managed to catch fish, that they he had dried near the fire. And he had made a spit to cook the fish over the fire, which she had to admit was delicious. Dipper didn't like fish, but he ate it because he needed protein, and he knew that he needed it.

Dipper had been trying to make a bow. He had made several arrows. But the bow was what was giving him difficulties. The last few attempts turned into fire wood, once he got frustrated. It was in one of the books he had with him, but even with instructions, it seemed more difficult than he had imagined. So, he had decided to put the bow aside, and work on some traps.

If he was able to get it right they would have other meat to eat. She didn't want to hurt the bunnies, and other creatures. But they also needed food. Dipper had said that the fruit and berries wouldn't be enough. Winter had started, so the berries wouldn't be growing anymore. They had been lucky that the local animals hadn't eaten them, or stored them away before they got to them. With the meat they could get, they could dry and preserve it.

"Stupid bow," Dipper muttered tossing another stick on the fire. It seems while she had been thinking Dipper had went back to trying to make a bow again. "I don't understand why this won't work."

"Want me to help?" She asked putting her book.

"You are good with crafts... So, it might be a good idea." Dipper said looking though the large branches trying to find a good one to use. "I'll get this one ready. And we'll try tomorrow, it's getting late."

"And it's getting colder too." Mabel said as she got up, and gathered up some thicker branches and tossed them into the fire. She went into her bag, pulling out a couple balls of yarn. "I'll start making stuff. Like, we'll need hats, and gloves. Maybe scarves."

She didn't want to imagine being here for long. She hoped soon she and Dipper would be warm at home, with full tummies. She knew that their mother and father were searching for them. That their mother and father wouldn't give up looking for them. They loved them.

"Good idea, Mabs." Dipper said setting his soon-to-be bow on the ground. He got up and went over to the pile of logs. "Come help me get one of these big logs on the fire. It'll burn all night."

"Alright, Broski." She put her knitting aside, and helped him with one of the logs, and helped Dipper place it in the fire.

"We're going to have to find more wood tomorrow. If we wait too long, it'll be frozen if it gets too cold. We'll do that after we work on the bow."

"Sounds like a plan." She said dusting off her hands, and moved to the spot they slept. They had the emergency blankets, and they used her sweaters as pillows. It wasn't the use they were meant for, but she had to admit that they were soft and worked well as pillows. They each had two sweaters. The second one, they used as a blanket, if they curled up their legs. It wasn't ideal, but it worked.

 **AVAVA**

 **M** abel was cooking rabbits on a spit-roast, that Dipper had managed to catch with one of this traps, and some of the berries that they had gathered. She felt bad for Dipper, who had to skin and clean the animals. She couldn't do it, she couldn't even watch it.

It didn't leave them lacking too much in the berry department, considering that they would probably spoil before they ate them all. The meat on the other hand, they could keep a less amount of time. But the meat would be a welcome change. There wouldn't be much chance for rabbits, or at least she didn't think so. Dipper would know more about that.

That morning, she had managed to make a functioning bow. Though, as it turned out, neither of them were very good at using the bow. So, Dipper would continue to practice. Was actually currently practicing while she was trying to figure out how to cook on a spit correctly. While she loved cooking this was a little out of her skills. Though, depending on when someone rescues them, she might end up proficient in cooking on a spit.

 _'How long do you cook a rabbit?'_ She wondered as she continued to turn the rabbits. Maybe she would err on the side of caution, and over cook them.

 **AVAVA**

 **( Dipper Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **T** he bow, it seemed, was going to aggravate him to no end. The bow was working properly. He knew Mabel had made it the best that could be done, with the limited tools they had. It was the arrows, he knew it. He got the straightest branches he could find, and added feathers the way the book had told him. However, they were not completely straight. Add the fact that none of the arrows were identical, it was impossible to learn to shoot a crooked arrow, since none of them would need the same corrections.

At least his traps were working. As long as they continued to work. As long as they had something to continue baiting the traps with. When winter fully set in, it would be very hard to find any greenery to bait the traps.

"That's it!" He growled after missing yet another shot.

Dipper didn't expect to become a master archer overnight. However, he did expect to be able to at least hit the tree he was aiming at, even if he didn't hit the crude circle he had marked on the tree. He set the bow down, and went to gather up the arrows. He didn't plan to reuse these arrows, but he could at least save the feathers he had gathered. He had spent a long time finding the fathers. And started back to the cave.

Something howls in the distance.

Dipper looked around, fearful whatever howled was near him. Though, he saw nothing. But wild animals could hide around him and he wouldn't know it. He made his way back to the cave.

It did bring to his attention, that and the emergency blanket wouldn't keep any predators out.

"Was that you? Or was that an animal?" Mabel asked, looking a little frightened. He could tell that Mabel knew it wasn't him, but that she was hoping.

"I think it was wolves." Some kind of canine anyways.

"I only heard one." Mabel protested.

"Wolves are pack animals. If there's one, there will be more." Dipper sighed, as he tosses a few long branches on the fire.

"So, what are we going to do?" She asked poking against embers with a stick.

"We'll figure it out tomorrow. It'll be dark soon. We'll go out here soon, and gather some logs to build a wall around the mouth of the cave."

 **AVAVA**

 **I** t was dark by the time they had finished the wall of logs and branches. It would have to be reworked, and didn't really have a real way in or out. They would figure that out tomorrow. They just hoped that it would keep any animals out for the night. They would find out in the morning.

They ate their meal of nuts, berries, and rabbit.

"You know, this isn't all that bad." Mabel said as she continued eating. "I've never rabbit before."

"Neither have I, but you're right." Dipper ate another piece of meat. They could use some plate and utensils, but that was for another day. "I don't know if it's good. Or if it's just that we haven't had any real meat for a while. Either way, I'm enjoying it."

For the first since they got lost, they were able to go to sleep peacefully.

 **AVAVA**

 **( Mabel Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **I** t was well into the afternoon, two days later, when she and Dipper had finished the wall to the cave's mouth. The logs and branches didn't want to work how they wanted it to, no matter how much they tried. She however noticed that there was clay on one of their searches. It took them hours to just dig up enough clay. After digging up enough, and carrying it to the cave, they were exhausted. They clay would work to create what they needed. She'd worked with clay before on some of her projects.

They had checked the traps that Dipper had made. On the way back, Dipper had found several potato plants. Dipper said he would return later to completely check. They had to cook another rabbit, maybe they would cook it together, since they kept dozing off from moving all the clay.

"It's been a long day." She muttered curling up under her sweater. The ground was hard, as it ever was. She started thinking about how to fix that. Somehow, she'd figure out how to get them both off the ground.

"Yeah, and it'll be long tomorrow too." Dipper murmured, seemingly only half awake.

 **AVAVA**

 **D** ipper had been right, the day had been long, and it wasn't even half over. All they had was water bottles, and transporting water to shape the clay wall was proving to be time consuming. They had no other choice, but to continue taking turns, going trip after trip with the water bottles, to the river. They were supposed to take turns. But Dipper was the one that mainly went, She was much better shaping the clay walls than he was. All those years of crafts had given her hands made for shaping.

"Alright, Dip." Mabel stood up, the semicircle of the wall had been completed. "The wall is done. I can't figure out the door. I've been trying to figure that out."

"I've been thinking about it too." Dipper stretched. "C'mon, grab your change of clothes." Dipper looked at his sister's hands caked in clay. "Alright, I'll get your other set of clothes. Mine too, we'll take turns bathing in the river. We're both getting kinda ripe."

"You got it. But, what about the door?" She asked, "Can't wait to try out that soap you made. I know your book said you could get lye from the hard wood ashes from our fires, I'm kinda skeptical. But hey. Soap is soap, if it works."

"Of course it'll work. So far, everything else in the book has been right. Including the drawings that proved those were potatoes we gathered coming back from getting water." Dipper defended his book. Then started to muse. "Maybe we could move some of the plants here, for easier access. And I have an idea for the door."

"Alright, lets go!" she said as he came out of the cave with a back pack. She assumed that everything was in the bag. Time to see what that soap will do.

 **AVAVA**

 **M** abel had stripped off her clothes, and was now out in the cold water. She didn't like cold water, but a bath was a bath. That, and she wasn't sure when they would be able to take another. Once it got too cold, and they didn't have towels. They may end up sick. Dipper had offered to take her soiled clothes, and go and wash them in the river. He had devised a way to wash the clothes in the moving water, without risk of losing them to the rapids. The soap was working, and smelled good. The lye cleaned her, and whatever Dipper had used made it smell nice.

The only thing that she could complain about was how cold the water was. So, she hurried with cleaning herself, so she could get out, and get back to the cave where the fire would warm her.

"Hey Dipper!" Mabel called out, knowing her brother was not too far away from where she was, washing clothes. As she put on her clothes.

"You alright?" Dipper called back.

"I'm fine, I'm going to go back to the cave, and get dinner started. You finish up here, I'll leave the soap on this log!" She called back, and waited long enough to get an answer before heading back to the cave, following the pink pieces of yarn, which were the color that leaded to the river.

 **AVAVA**

 **O** n her way back to the cave, she was stopped by the sound of growling, and what sounded like screaming. It really scared her, but she still wanted to know what it was, but it sounded scary. So, she inched closer to the sound, to see a wolf cornering a fox.

 _'Oh no! The kitty-puppy!'_ She thought, as the wolf attacked the fox. She didn't know what happened next, since she closed her eyes. And when she opened them the wolf and fox were gone. But she could still hear whimpering.

She slowly went to investigate the whimpering. She looked through the bushes where the sound was coming from.

'Baby kitty-puppies!' she thought as she looked at the little animals. Did the wolf kill the mother? Poor babies! She couldn't leave the babies.

"C'mere lil kitty-puppies." Mabel called, reaching out for them. Maybe it was due to having no human contact here, that they were not scared of her. Or maybe they were too afraid of the wolf smell, to be afraid of her.

"Hope Dipper won't be upset." she thought as she carried the little babies back to the cave.

 **AVAVA**

 **( Dipper Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **H** e hung the clothes up on the clothes line he had made. He had bathed, and washed his soiled set of clothes, along with Mabel's. But realized they wouldn't dry just sitting somewhere. So, once he had gotten back to the cave, he had made a clothes line, inside of the wall. He managed to move several logs in front of the wall's opening. It wouldn't make a permanent door, but it would be something, until he figured it out.

Inside the cave Mabel was in the corner, having erected some kind of square with branches.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked.

"Uh... I have... Well, Dipper. I have kitty-puppies. A bad wolf, hurt their mother." She said, standing in front of the little pen. "I'm not putting them back outside."

"Kitty-puppies?" He moved closer to the area, where Mabel had the animals. He looked down into the pen. Little fox kits. "Well. I guess the little foxes need a home too. We can't put them back outside."

"I'm going to find some stuff to make beds tomorrow." She said, putting pieces of meat into the pen with the little foxes, who was more than happy to gobble them up. "I saw some stuff that would make good bedding. And I can weave some long grass together, to make a cover. So... Imma try that tomorrow."

 **AVAVA**

 **( Two Months After Getting Lost )**

 **VAVAV**

 **W** inter had fully set in on them. And they were in the middle of the first snow storm. And it didn't look like it was going to let up any time soon.

Dipper and Mabel had managed to make a door for the wall. He had managed to find several long pole like branches, and used branches and bark to create a top for the wall, which made a hut against the mouth of the cave. Or, made another room, depended on how you looked at it. He had even added a clay fireplace, after he managed to use several branches to put a hole in the wall, for the smoke to escape. He realized that he needed ventilation before he started construction on the fireplace/hearth. He wanted something to be able to cook in, and would keep the little area warm.

He had also added a smaller wall outside of the outer room. It was just an area to keep some of the animals that he had caught, to keep the meat fresh. At least with the snow, the meat would stay edible for a while.

Inside the cave, a fire burned bright, Mabel was curled up on one of the makeshift beds. Mabel had managed to find long grass, and wove them stuffed them with grass and anything else that she could find that was soft. The little kits were curls up with her. The fox kits, Fluffy and Socks as Mabel had named them, had adjusted to living with them a lot better than Dipper had imagined. And took to using the little area Mabel had made out of sticks, and sand to use as a liter box. He didn't know how she had managed to train them to use the bathroom there, but he wasn't going to complain about it.

She had used what yarn she had and made them blankets. Between them, and the fire, they stayed warm in the night, which was much colder than during the day. He had spent summers in Oregon, he hadn't imagined that it got this cold. Alright, so they had visited Their Great Uncle for Christmas a couple times, but they hadn't spent too much time outside. So, it was easy to forget, when you were in a warm house.

"Whatcha readin', Sis?" Dipper asked as he sat down on a log that they were using for a chair. That was near a taller log on it's end that worked as a small table. But it was enough that he could keep things on it, if not much, and had a relatively flat surface.

"The last book I haven't read yet, that I brought." She said putting the book down, and getting up much to the kits displeasure. Though, they curled up where Mabel had been sitting moments later, and was sleeping again. "I dunno what to do after I'm done with it."

Mabel set out to prepare their dinner. Dipper had lucked out with accidentally killed a boar. It seemed the hole he had dug, to make a sort of outhouse, and a boar had been chasing something or was just running. It had tripped in it, and hit it'd head on one of the rocks killing it. It's meat would last a long while. So, Mabel would be making spit-roast pork.

"Think a clay pot would work to boil in? Or I dunno. Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for any food that isn't berries. But I wouldn't mind making a stew, or fry something, if I could." Mabel said as she went out to stick potatoes in the clay hearth to cook near the fire.

 _'Meat and potatoes'_ , he thought. He understood Mabel. If they had to keep eating the same thing over and over, he would like to have it done differently. But like Mabel, he wouldn't complain about it. It was better than starving.

At least Mabel had begun using smashed berries, and some seasonings that she had managed to find, which changed the flavor. At least the kits didn't mind what the food was. They loved any offerings given.

"I'll check my book again, and see if there is a way to seal the clay to cook with." He said picking up his book looking through the pages that he hadn't gotten to yet.

 **AVAVA**

 **"D** ipper!" Mabel yelled out in panic. Which of course got him up and running out to the front room he had built

Had a wolf managed to get through the wall? Was it not strong enough? The door? Had it been broken by an animal? Had something crawled on the roof, and it didn't hold?

He grabbed the club he had made, and his pocket knife, and ran out to see what was going on.

As he made his way into the front room, he found his sister, wiggling back and forth in front of the door. Nothing seemed to be dangerous. He looked around, as if looking for the issue. His sister just looked at him with pleading eyes.

"What? What's wrong?" Dipper asked, lowering his club.

"The door! We're snowed in." She just looked at him, "I gotta pee!"

"I thought something was after you! Alright, let me open it." He reached for the front of the door and turned a couple of the sticks downwards. He had planned for this happening. He didn't want the door to open in, in case an animal tried to get in. But he made it so he could move part of the wall to allow the door to swing in, in

case the snow kept the door from opening.

"Thank God!" Mabel almost squealed and ran out of the hut, no doubt looking for a place to take pressure off her bladder.

"Back already?" Dipper asked a few minutes later, as she dashed in. Dipper closing the door behind her, and making it so the door didn't swing in anymore.

"I'm not about to hang around out there freezing off my lower bits!" She smirked as she went back to check on the pork.

"Can't blame you there, Sis." He checked the potatoes, then followed Mabel into the cave since they weren't done.

 **AVAVA**

 **I** t was so cold. Mabel and Dipper had taken to sharking one of the beds for warmth. Their wood was running dangerously low, and still weeks left for the snowy season, and months left for winter. They'd went out a few time, and gathered up what wood they could find buried in the snow. They found some, but still it wouldn't be enough. So, they started rationing the wood they had.

The kits had took to sleeping between them. Which gave them added heat, and kept the kits warm.

"D-Dipper, what are we going to do?" Mabel asked her head still under the two blankets, the knitted blankets were normally really warm, but it was hard to keep the warmth in when it was getting colder every day.

"I don't know, M-Mabs" Dipper didn't know what to do. Though, he did know that they would freeze to death if he didn't figure out something. But he didn't want to scare his sister. "We'll figure out something, Mabs."

Though he knew that there wasn't anything that he could do. It was only a matter of time before it was over. But he wouldn't worry his sister, he'd let her be oblivious until the end.

 **AVAVA**

 **T** hey had ran out of wood a couple days before. He had just tossed his bow and arrows into the fire. It would last maybe an hour, though he was sure it would me less. He put on his jacket. Then the gloves and hat Mabel had made him. He was going to search for more wood. Anything. Just to get them through the night, he'd be able to search more tomorrow, but it would be dark soon and he needed wood for the night.

He looked over at his sister, curled up with the kits on the bed they had been sharing. She was sleeping. Mabel had been sleeping more since it was cold. Mabel didn't like the cold, so she tended to sleep through it.

"Sleep tight. I'll be back with wood." He hoped, as he went out into the snow.

It was much colder outside than he imagined. The jackets they brought were for the end of autumn, not for the middle of winter. But still, he would press on, their survival depended on it.

 **AVAVA**

 **( Couple Hours Later )**

 **VAVAV**

 **H** e had a meager offering. He was sure that it wouldn't make it through the night. He wished that he hadn't tried to make those pots and pans, that resulted in just a single pot, that could be used. It had used a lot more wood than he imagined. He hadn't thought about the wood. He wished he had.

It was now dark. He couldn't feel his feet, or his fingers.

Time to get the wood he had... gathered...

Where was he going?

The cave! He was going back to the cave to make a fire for him, Mabel, Fluffy, and Socks.

 _'Have to keep focused.'_ He told himself, hypothermia could cause him to become confused, and disoriented. He knew that, but he couldn't be sure if he was confused or not. How could he tell if he was confused.

 _'Stop it, Dipper! Back to the cave! C'mon, Dipper!'_ Dipper mentally shook himself. He just had to follow the yarn pieces. Was it the pink ones? Blue ones? Yellow?

He followed the pink yarn and ended up at the river. This was not where he meant to go.

 _'No biggy, just follow the pink back to the cave.'_ He thought to himself. His legs were becoming more numb from the cold. As he made his way back down the path. He was getting tired.

 _'Few more steps, just a few more steps.'_

Either he slipped, or his legs gave out. He fell face first in the snow, which for some reason felt warm. Maybe just a quick nap.

 _'No, Dipper. No nap. Get up!'_ He yelled to himself. Even though it was dark, he saw a bight light. Before everything went dark, he put out one last thought. _'I've failed. I'm sorry, Mabel. Forgive me.'_

 **AVAVA**

 **( Mabel Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **S** he woke up, and Dipper wasn't there. She figured that he went out to search for more wood. It was getting cold. And the fire had all but burned out. She got up, wrapping her kitty-puppies back up. She searched the small cave, then out near the clay stove. She used the wood that was the boarders of the litter box, and tossed it in the fire pit.

She sat near the fire as it started to burn. She rolled one of the chair logs onto the fire, it would burn for a few hours.

"Hope Dipper managed to find some more wood," She said aloud looking over at her kitty-puppies. Yes, she knew that they were not kitty-puppies, but she liked that name. And they looked like kitty-puppies.

The log she had moved onto the fire, hadn't done what she planned. It smothered the fire, and she couldn't get it started again.

"Okay, I need to get Dipper." She said, she knew that he had the matches with him, and the lighter. And she could help him carry any wood he found. "Okay, Fluffy, Socks, be good babies while mommy is gone."

She put on her sweater, and stuffed it with some of the bedding from the bed that she made for the fox kits, since they never used it opting to use her bed with her,, which she didn't mind since it gave her added warmth. Then put on her pair of mittens, and hat she had made. They were mismatched but she didn't really care, she had limited yarn when she had finished the blankets. The point was warmth, and survival, not fashion. For added measure, she grabbed one of the emergency blankets and wrapped it around herself.

"Whelp," She looked over at the kits, who had gone back to sleep. "Time to go find Dipper."

 **AVAVA**

 **S** he followed his trail through the snow, luckily it hadn't started snowing again, or else she wouldn't have been able to follow the trail. She had followed it to a few of the places they visited, as marked by their yarn trail. A few spots she could see where Dipper had dug in the snow for any wood he could find she assumed. She followed the trail that lead to the apple trees, that wouldn't even be baring fruit right now so she wasn't sure why Dipper had went there. Unless, he was going for any branches that might have fallen.

Then to the river, that didn't make sense. Then she saw a new trail leading back to the cave.

 _'Just my luck!'_ She thought to herself. She was out here in the snow and Dipper was back at the cave, and warm.

She kept walking, as she pulled the foil blanket around her. She kept moving, and stopped when she noticed something in the middle of the path. Too big to be an animal, well to big to be an animal out and about in the snow. Bears didn't like snow, and hibernated so she didn't think it was... Then she realized what it was.

"Dipper!" She ran, or well pushed through the snow as best she could to make it to her brother. "C'mon Dip!"

"M-M-M-Mab-b-b-bel" He shivered when she managed to rouse him.

"C'mon, get up. Imma help you up. Come on, let me help you back to the cave." Mabel pulled him up, and he helped her himself up as best he could.

"W-w-wood." He stammered.

"I'll come back for it. C'mon Dipper. You should have come back for breaks." She said helping him back towards the cave.

Dipper had been out here for hours digging through the snow. It had only taken her half an hour to find Dipper on the trail, but she wasn't looking for wood. He could have froze to death if she hadn't come to look for him. He still might get really sick. Or worse maybe.

"'Alright, we're here, Dip. C'mon now. Right through the Door, into the cave." She got him in, and pulled him close to the fire, that didn't look like it would last much longer.

"H-Here." He held his arms out, which was holding as much of the wood as he could continue holding.

"Dip, I said I'd go back for it..." She softly scolded, even though they needed it now. She set the wood down next to the fire pit, and went and grabbed one of the books she had read many times, she ripped a few pages out, and put them in the fire, with twigs over it. Once those twigs caught fire, she added bigger and bigger branches that she snapped in half. She put enough wood into the pit, based on their knowledge here in the cave, she assumed she would have at least two hours. She wrapped one of the blankets around Dipper.

"Alright. How do you feel?" She leaned over him.

"L-Little Bet-t-ter." He said. At least some of the color was coming back to his face. And his lips weren't blue anymore. He was conscious so she could go back for the firewood he left.

"I'll be right back. Stay here." She said before rushing back out.

 **AVAVA**

 **D** ipper had ended up getting sick and was currently resting on their bed. They had used Dipper's bed as kindling to restart fires that had went out over the past few days. She had managed to make a stone axe from a sharp stone and part of one of the spare shirts, that had been ripped into strips. She had sharpened the stone as best she could with another stone, but rubbing it against the edge.

Each day she went out to the trees closest to the cave, and cut lower branches of the trees. She had begun to get a massive pile in the cave, though she continued day in, and day out cutting branches. Then she got the idea to get a couple curved branches, tie some straight ones across it to make a kind of sled so she could pull more wood back to the cave.

She also had to check the traps, and had to figure out out to prepare the meat. Which was hard. She felt bad making Dipper have to do it by himself. But she managed. She used the pot Dipper had made to make stew for Dinner the last few nights. Which was a nice change of pace, and a good way to use up the potatoes before they went bad. She wasn't sure when potatoes grew, but she was fairly sure that there wouldn't be any more potatoes right now.

"C'mon, Dip. Time to eat something." She shook him awake a little.

"Okay." He seemed to be feeling a bit better today, even if he wasn't totally feeling better. It was a good sign to her. When he started eating with vigor, it was a great sign to her. He hadn't been too hungry these last few days.

"Someone sure is hungry," she said while eating her own bowl dinner.

"Felt like I haven't eaten in days." Dipper said between bites. He sounded a lot better at least.

"Well, you've eaten, but you haven't eaten much." Mabel said pointing her crude spoon at him. "Which scared the heck out of me, by the way."

 **AVAVA**

 **O** nce Dipper was feeling better, work had went much faster with them sharing the load. They could bring a lot more wood back on the sled that she had made, which Dipper complimented her on. Which made her happy. Traps were checked, and they both shared the burden of preparing the meat. They were both used to the sight of it. But still they felt bad for it, but knew they needed to eat.

They had to reinforce the roof of the hut part, because when Dipper had made it, it wasn't meant to support the weight of the snow. Even though it had, Dipper didn't want to take the chance of it falling in, and keeping them blocked in the cave. Even with the few places that they reinforced, they still tried to keep the clay oven on when it snowed, to melt the snow.

With each day that passed, the idea of going home was getting farther from their mind. It had actually dawned on her when Dipper had referred to the cave as home, that they hadn't even thought about their home in days.

She heard the wind howl outside, as a massive snow storm was covering the area with new snow. This time, they had enough wood to survive this snow storm. Considering most of the cave, and half the hut area was full of it.

Since she was out of things to read, she had started writing. Dipper had a couple blank journals with him, along with a butt ton of pens. So, she had taken to writing stories to occupy her time.

Dipper, she noticed, was currently napping leaned against the remaining log chair, since they had burned the other. He usually tried working with some wood, to his dismay, he was not good at. But the gargoyle cat he had tried carving for her, she kept. Sure it would one day be in her nightmares, but he worked hard. And since it was one of his first real steps into her crafting world. She would never tell him that it scared the be-jeebers out of her.

 **AVAVA**

 **M** abel was more than happy with her haul to day, she had found a lot of wood, and was now taking it back to the cave where her kitty-puppies and Dipper waited for her. Dipper was almost better and have come up with a few recipes of his own for the boar meat. She was glad that he had found something to do so he didn't go insane while she had him cave bound. Until she was sure he wouldn't get sicker, she kept him in the cave. She knew he was a bit stir crazy, but no way was the snow gonna take her bro-bro.

The sled that she had made, Dipper had improved. Inside the cave, because she wouldn't let him out, was working a lot better, and held a ton of wood. Only problem was that she hadn't found a ton, until today. She even found her perfectly round log. It was dirty but it was like perfectly round. She was hoping that they could try to not burn it, because it was awesome. She would clean it and use it for something.

It had snowed again, but it wasn't that cold. That could have been because she was using both jackets. Dipper had decided since only one of them was collecting wood, they would use both jackets, and wearing both sets of their clothes, to stay warm. Which worked out as she felt a lot warmer. Well, warmer considering how cold it was outside.

"Whoa!" she looked up, and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

There was a cabin in front of her. She couldn't believe her eyes. A cabin. A freaking Cabin! How had they not seen this yet? Well, she had only gone this far to find more wood. So, maybe they would have found it sooner, if they had ventured farther. No matter, she had to get Dipper.

 **AVAVA**

 **( Dipper Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **T** he next morning, Dipper stood with his sister staring at the old ranger station. Two story cabin, large wrap around deck. Unfortunately, it seemed to have been abandoned. Though, there could still be any number of useful things. They wouldn't know until they went in and looked. Odds were against someone still being there. It was winter and off season. Still he could hope. Mabel was practically bouncing next to him. He didn't know if it was from excitement, or if she was trying to stay warm.

Dipper walked up to the door, reaching out and turned the handle. Locked. He didn't assume it would be that easily.

"Mabel, check the windows on that side, I'll take this side. We'll meet in the back," he said as he started trying the first window. He continued around the cabin, the windows had ended on the side, and he hoped that one around the back of the cabin would be open.

"Hey, Dip! Got one!" Mabel's voice called from the other side of the cabin.

Dipper joined Mabel on the other side of the Cabin. She had indeed found a window that was open. It was a bit off the ground, which was probably why when he turned the corner he found Mabel trying to get in the window. Which wasn't as successful as she probably had planned. Only her chin and arms were in the window, while her feet couldn't get traction on the wall. It would have been more comical if it wasn't so cold, and if the last two and a half months hadn't just been horrible. Of course they were alive and fed.

"Hold on." Dipper said grabbing his sister's feet, helping her up into the window.

"Ow." She then grunted as she landed inside of the cabin. "Meet you at the front door."

By the time that he had gotten to the front door, Mabel had already opened the door and was waiting for him. They both went in and Dipper closed the door behind them. The very first thing that Dipper did when getting in, was to start a fire in the fireplace. The wood was old and he didn't think it would last too long. Though there was a decent stack of wood sitting next to the fire. There was more than enough for their visit.

"Kinda dark in here." Mabel called from another room.

"I found some candles." Dipper called back as he picked up a candle holder, he lit the candle and handed it off to Mabel, then lit another for himself. "Okay, Mabes. First, see what we have here."

He searched the living area. Couple couches, tables, a few items littered the table tops. On the mantle above the fireplace was a couple boxes of matches, which was normal. Lamps, that he assumed worked with a generator since he was really sure that there were no power lines this far out in the forest. He moved to the desk that was near the front door. He assumed this was where the ranger took care of his business. First thing on the desk he took note of, and tried was the phone. Dead line. Like he had imagined. The line had probably snapped long ago. Maybe why this cabin had been abandoned. Power and phone lines took too much maintenance.

He looked at the CB radio. He was sure there wasn't power to run it. He continued looking for anything he could use. Then light flooded the room after a click. He looked around a moment at the light.

"Whoa, the switch worked." He could see the shocked look on Mabel's fast, that he felt. "How'd it work?"

Dipper went to investigate what it was that powered the cabin. First he had to locate the fuse box. When he found it, it was just a normal breaker box. Alright, had to be some sort of power source. Could be underground power lines. Could be solar. He wasn't going to argue with it. He ran back out to the CB radio, and flipped it on. He almost cried when he saw the lights come on.

"Mabel... I think... I think we can go home now." His voice shook.

"What about Socks and Fluffy? And our stuff?" He really didn't care about their stuff, but he did care about the little foxes.

"We'll get them." He picked up the mic. "Anyone out there? We are at a rangers cabin, we've been lost in the forest for almost three months."

 **AVAVA**

 **D** ipper and Mabel had ran back to the cave they had called home for the last quarter of a year. He and Mabel had wanted to bring several things with them aside from Fluffy and Socks. They had plenty of time for the park staff to find them. They had given the best description of where they were, but it didn't help much. Usually, there were something in the desk to designate which ranger cabin it was. The last ranger seemed to have taken everything with them. Though, had left the cabinets stocked. Dipper assumed for the return in the spring.

A couple of hours. At most a day.

They could easily wait a couple hours.

Heck.

With running water and electricity they could wait as long as they needed. It would be a lot easier then how they had been living.

"So, what we gonna take?" Mabel asked while the kits bounced around her feet. The foxes were happy, maybe because they could sense Mabel's excitement. "Lets bring the bow!"

"Maybe, but definitely the stories you wrote." Dipper looked over at her packing the notebooks he had brought. And putting the cat that he had attempted to carve for her.

"You don't got to bring that. It's... well it's not that good." He knew that she was taking it just to be nice. Even his latest carvings were horrible.

"You kidding? This is gonna be my most prized possession! Imma tell people we assimilated into the forest. And this became our God!" Mabel laughed, then smiled when he just looked at her. "I'm only kidding. But I am going to show it to everyone cause you made it for me."

"If you want." He looked over their possessions that they had held dear. Most of it wouldn't be needed anymore.

"I'm going to leave the blankets, beds and stuff. Because, what if someone else gets lost? They'll have all this stuff. How easy would it have been if all this stuff was here when we got here."

 **AVAVA**

 **( Mabel Pines )**

 **VAVAV**

 **"U** gh!" She groaned as Dipper sat next to her on the couch in a similar state. "We shouldn't have eaten two jars of peanutbutter."

"It was your idea!" Dipper looked a little green. "I was happy with just a sandwich while we waited. But you had to bet we couldn't eat a jar. Then double or nothing on the second jar."

"You didn't have to say yes!" Mabel got up and looked in the cabinets. "Soda! Score!"

"Grab me one, Mabes."

"Betcha you can't drink more than me." Mabel Smirked.


End file.
